Democratic Representative George Miller has announced on Monday that he will retire from politics at the end of his term after serving 40 years in Congress.
In a statement on Monday, Miller said “I’m proud of what I have been able to accomplish on behalf of children, working people and the environment, in my district and for our country, especially passage of national health care reform.”
He added, “Now, I look forward to one last year in Congress fighting the good fight and then working in new venues on the issues that have inspired me, and I will not seek re-election this fall. What a wonderful experience this has been,” New York Timesr eports.
Miller, a top aid of Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, is known for bridging gaps between Democrats and Republicans. He was first elected in 1974 and in 2012, he was re-elected with 69.1 percent of the vote.
Pelosi outlined Miller’s accomplishments in his lengthy career in a statement, which include chairing several House committees, serving as the co-chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee and serving as the top Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee.
CNN notes Miller is the fourth Democrat to announce a retirement before the midterm elections this fall. Nine Republicans have announcement retirement but Democrats would still need 17 House seats to regain control of the House of Representatives.
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